On July 9, 2009, my beloved dressage horse Amiritta (AKA Suki) was critically burned when her barn caught fire. Suki's survival and recovery are considered miraculous. Her courage has made her an inspiration to people around the world. This is the story of our journey.....

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Busy Day

Thursday was a rainy damp day, so I decided to do just a quick check on Suki on my way home after picking up Isaiah. I had done the full spa treatment the day before, so I thought it would be fine. I usually do the "quick check" once a week, and I always receive the same reaction from Suki. As I walk into her stall i have a handful of treats. Then I check her blanket, straighten it, give her some hugs and head out the door. As I walk out of her stall I can feel Suki's face pressed against my back as she attempts to follow me out of her stall. That always makes feel sad, because she must truly love and enjoy our time together and is disappointed when that time is cut short. Spending time with my horses is always a joy and comforting after a long day. The greeting that the girls offer when they hear my voice and watch me approach is heartwarming.
I always appreciate the help that I receive to take care of Suki, but days when things just don't quite as planned, I am especially grateful. Some days you try to fit everything into a mere 24 hours, and it is just impossible! Friday was certainly one of those days. Isaiah's birthday party at the Lehigh Valley Zoo was today, but yesterday I had to get the house ready for my mother's arrival, go to work and groom, exfoliate and moisturize Suki. I usually leave the office at 4 on Fridays, but there was just too much going on. Nikki gets usually is ridden by Meghan on Fridays, so that My husband was picking up my mother which meant that I needed to pick up Isaiah from school and do the house and Suki. Deb, who takes care of Suki while I'm away, is great. Most of the time she is available to help at the last minute when something comes up, so I texted her late morning on Friday when I realized that at 4 PM I was going to have to be in three places at the same time. Crisis averted!
The party today went well, but I was tired by the end of the day and looking forward to taking care of Suki. Because of the time we had to leave for the party (and the distance) my Saturday morning ride on Nikki did not happen. We had quite a bit of rain overnight, so as I made my way down the driveway toward the barn I was not surprised to see the horses out in the small paddocks rather than tearing up the pasture. From the corner of my eye I thought I saw Suki, but she disappeared behind the barn. As I pulled up closer to the barn I could see that her blanket was no longer green, but caked, and I mean CAKED with mud on the left side. While I was looking forward to spending time with her, I was not excited to see so much dirt......but, it made me smile anyway. Clearly she had a great time outside....isn't that what life is about? By the end of the grooming my hair face and clothing were covered in a layer of dirt and dry skin...delightful! The sheet was dry, but had layers of mud on it so I attempted to curry some of that off. Suki's other sheet of the same weight is with the blanket lady for wash and repair. there is another spare by Nikki which I will have to bring that to Suki tomorrow since the weather is supposed to get a bit warmer after this next cold snap.
I am SO looking forward to my morning ride on Nikki tomorrow. I am actually going to borrow her bridle to see if I can put it on Suki. She has not warn a bridle since the fire, and with the difficulty that we had re-introducing her to a halter, I think that it may take a bit of time to work through it. I will order a bridle for Suki next week (when I finally decide which one I want!), but I am anxious to see her reaction to wearing one. I planning on lunging her tomorrow, so I will lunge her in the bridle if we get that far! I am SO excited!
This post is quite disjointed tonight.....I am going to blame fatigue, and promise of a better post tomorrow......and more pictures. Jennifer took some great ones last weekend and I want to add more of them. Maybe tomorrow's photos will include one of Suki wearing a bridle!